A Moment Interrupted, A Moment Gained
by Shipperony10
Summary: Harm was about to open up when Webb rose to interrupt the moment...he sighed. Any words spoken by anyone other than Mac could honestly mean nothing to him under the circumstances. Will Harm and Mac finished what they could have started?


**A Moment Interrupted, A Moment Gained  
**

Disclaimer: Not mine...never will be, but I wish I owned DJE.

Note: Just plain Harm and Mac fluff…who doesn't like that right. After trying to get a fix for stories written about Paraguay and not finding many (if you all know of any, please share ;-D), I have decided to write my own. This is what should have happened after Webb showed up at the hotel room with Victor Galindez. TPTB robbed us all of a possible intimate moment with our two favorite characters. *shakes head*

Note: Sorry for any mistakes. Enjoy this new one!

* * *

**Hotel Nuevo Simpatico**

**Ciudad Del Este, Paraguay**

A near kiss interrupted. He should be glad to see Webb. He was grateful for everything he had done to keep Mac safe, but he couldn't help but feel aggravated with the situation. He poured him a glass of Cañac for the pain that shown in his expressions and lacerations. It was the least and best he could do.

"By the way Rabb, what the hell _are_ you doing here?" Webb asked while he winced in pain as he touched one of the many cuts on his face.

"I came here looking for Mac." Harm stated honestly and was a bit irritated that Webb was going to play twenty-one questions at such an inopportune time.

"How did you get the Admiral's permission?"

Harm knew that eventually the truth had to be let out. He had tried to tell Mac when they were in bed, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Now he would have to come forward and reveal his sacrifice in front of everyone. He knew it would not go well. "I resigned my commission."

"Are you insane? Why didn't you tell me?" Mac could not hide the hurt in her voice from the lack of communication between them.

"There was no time." He had no intelligent words to justify any excuse.

"You found time to tell Webb."

"It's not a big deal, Mac." Harm knew he was lying in an attempt to keep her from getting too upset. Truth was that everything he did for her was a big deal. It had taken him a long time to admit to himself that he would sacrifice anything and everything to have Mac in his life forever, even if it meant living a life without his career.

"Harm this job is your life…it's all you've got." Every word had come out wrong. She had not meant to suggest that he had nothing but his career to live for. He had given up the biggest part of him. He had done it for her. She was in shock, she was ecstatic, she was sad, she was uncertain of his intentions. "You did it for me."

Harm nodded. He wanted so much to take her in his arms and tell her exactly why he had sacrificed so much. He was no longer afraid to tell her, he was no longer afraid to tell himself. He had to do it before it was too late, which he sensed it might already be.

Harm was about to open up when Webb rose to interrupt the moment. 'Son of a…curse you, Clay.' He thought to himself as he sighed and closed his eyes for a second before turning his attention to the injured man that was on his way to the floor. Webb had mumbled some nonsense, Harm had been sure of it, but the situation and his frustration gave him no time to register anything. Any words spoken by anyone other than Mac could honestly mean nothing to him under the circumstances.

Harm and Victor wrapped their arms around the man to haul him to the bed. They carried him into the next room as Mac followed suit. "I'm going to see if I can find some kind of first aid." Victor excused himself. Harm nodded as he turned to find Mac pulling off Webb's shoes.

"Let me help." He proceeded to pull off the other shoe.

"I can do it. Thanks." Mac whispered protectively without looking up.

"Alright." She was upset. Upset to see Webb hurt; mad at him for having hid his sacrifice from her. He understood, but he felt the need to escape the tension. "I'm going to go get another room. Let me know if you need anything else." If she wanted to help Webb, he would not object. The man had saved Mac's life for as long as he could. But not even a grateful man would stand to witness the woman he loved fall for another man. He turned and walked out with a slight sense of panic and defeat. He didn't want to lose her.

**Harm's Hotel Room**

He was exhausted, but his mind would not let him rest. He lay in bed with his eyes closed, pondering the turn of events with uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. He rolled in bed, willing his brain to shut off if only long enough for him to fall asleep. Maybe asleep he would forget about everything that he was in danger of losing.

He ended face-up with one arm behind his head. He could forget about sleeping. He would stay awake in bed and face his fears. Before another thought entered his mind, the door to his room creaked open.

So many thoughts circled through his head. Who was opening his door? What if it was one of Sadik's men? Should he get up to fight? Should he give in and let them torture him some? Luckily, Mac's soft voice flowed through the room and into his ear before he had to exercise any point of action.

"Harm?" She walked over to one of the chairs in the room to place her belongings on it. "Are you awake?"

"Mmm hmm." He mumbled as he let out a sigh. The next few minutes would either make or break his life forever. Her presence was a welcomed anxiety. "Can't really sleep."

He scooted over to one side, leaving room for Mac on the small bed. "Come here." He spoke with his eyes still closed.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't want to leave Clay unattended. Cleaning him up was the least I could do. I owe him a lot."

"You don't need to validate your reasons to me." He said it as politely as he could.

She felt a twinge in her heart from his honesty. "I didn't come to argue. I came to apologize for the way I might have spoken to you earlier. I'm just so frustrated and torn apart. I don't mean to hurt you." She placed herself next to him on her back.

"I don't want to argue either. I'm tired of the remarks we've been making towards each other. The last thing I want to do is push you into the arms of another man." The truth slowly made its way to the surface.

Her heart skipped a few beats, her breathing quickened, her mind worked at a million miles per second to try and grasp what Harm had said. "I appreciate your honesty. I'm glad you feel that way. The last thing I want to do is end up in the wrong arms…again." She let out a sigh of relief. Her mind could cooperate; she thanked the heavens as she searched in the dark for Harm's hand. She found it resting on his upper thigh.

He let her take his hand in hers without a second thought. Her touch was soft and comforting. "Mac…" He wanted to speak. He wanted to say so much before he could hesitate, but Mac turned on her side and with her free hand, steadied his lips from speaking.

"We can talk in the morning. Let's just lay here alone."

Harm swallowed the lump in his throat. Her words eliciting raw emotions deep within him that he felt would break free at any moment. He feared they might regret anything that could transpire between them two, but more than anything he wanted to feel alive. He wanted to share with her anything that she was willing to share with him. If it meant comfort as they slept or something more, he would not deny either.

They lay in silence for what seemed like an eternity with their hands still laced together. Steady breathing but frantic hearts. Neither of them wanted to move. Too deep of an inhale, too strong of an exhale, one wrong twitch of a muscle could ruin the peace they had created among them.

Only a brave soul would dare tamper with such a serene moment in such a chaotic place and time. Those that did however were rewarded.

Mac was the first to act on emotion and pure desire. Rationalism and sense be damned.

Her fingers tightened around Harm's as she tugged him closer to her. He opened his eyes, let out a shaky breath, and swiftly turned on his side to face her. He was amazed at what he was met with. Even in the darkness that drowned the room, her eyes still shone. Their intense softness never vanished, not even without light. He smiled the softest of smiles as he brought their joined hands to his lips. He did not go any further. The blood pounded in his ears, his eyes burned with love, but he did not move to initiate any further contact, not even to steal a kiss.

Mac sensed his position. Ever the gentleman, he would wait for an invitation, even if it was just for a kiss. She tugged further on his hand until she wound it around her waist. She slowly but ardently pulled on his left shoulder, encouraging him to cover her body with his.

He did. Her feminine figure molded perfectly under his thicker masculine physique.

Heart beats raced as their eyes clouded over, yet both saw clearer than ever. Mac lifted her hand to caress his cheek. "Why did you come here, Harm?"

He breathed in her scent and closed his eyes before gathering his thoughts. Words needed to be said, and they needed to be clear and concise. "I came here to find you." It was his turn to caress her cheek.

"Why?" She closed her eyes as she relished his touch.

"Because I'm in love with you." His heart slowed at his confession and a soft sigh escaped his lips. A weight had been lighted from his shoulders. He could finally breathe. His conscience would no longer haunt him. "Why did you come to me?" He looked into her brown eyes searching for his answer.

"Because in your arms is where I want to be." She smiled before she took his face in her hands and met his lips with hers.

Their mouths melted together perfectly. They both softly but passionately tugged on each others lips, remembering how it felt to caress each other in such a way. They dueled for control for a while until Harm broke their kiss and pushed up on his forearms. Out of breathe he spoke, "Mac, there's no turning back from here. Once we do this, there will be nothing else, no one else that matters to me. Is that what you want? I need to be sure we are not jumping into something we might regret tomorrow. I can't go on knowing that tomorrow we'll wake up and go on as if nothing happened. As if this thing between us didn't exist."

"I feel the same way. I want this. No more running. No more denying. I won't regret us."

They both breathed out a sigh of relief and let their actions express all of the feelings they had harbored for years.

Harm didn't hesitate to kiss her ardently. She smiled into his kiss with a soft moan.

Their kiss stopped only long enough for Mac to remove Harm's muscle shirt. She tossed it to the side as she ran her palms up over his shoulders to push him back down over her. His skin was warm to the touch. Her palm was soft on his skin.

They sighed in between breaths.

"Harm-", Mac whispered against his lips.

"Yes…", He lifted his eyes to hers.

"Thank you for saving my life."

He needed no thanking; they had saved each other from various disasters before. This case was no different. He did however; thank the gods for the chance they had granted him. The chance to see her again. To touch her face. To kiss her one more time.

"You're welcome." Harm couldn't deny that it did feel good to be appreciated by the woman he had risked everything for, though. He resumed their kiss. "You're very welcome." That was all Mac needed to pull him so close she could feel every inch of his body on hers. It felt so perfect and so right.

He broke the kiss long enough to adjust them as he pulled her on top of him and continued kissing her softly. Mac broke the kiss the second time. She pulled herself up so she could straddle him, and use her hands for more useful things than just balancing her weight on the mattress below them.

She began an exploration of his body that she had longed for since she could remember.

Both of her hands began to smooth out his hair. It felt soft yet strong under her palms. Harm closed his eyes. She moved her fingertips lightly down to his jaw. She memorized its contour, the smoother skin in between the rougher skin caused by the shadow that was beginning to surface there. She bent forward just enough to place a kiss on each side. Harm opened his eyes. He wanted to see her face. He wanted to pull her in for another kiss. Mac moved back to let Harm guide her lips back to his. She kissed him lightly before pulling back to continue her marveling of his body. She traced a path down to his neck. She allowed herself to feel his pulse. His heart was beating quickly. She smiled softly before kissing each pulse point. Harm's hands made their way to her back where he made circles over the fabric of her shirt. Mac straightened back up to continue her journey. Her hands found their way to his chest. The rippling of the muscles there lit a fire in her that was only intensified by the tingle of his chest hair. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"We're really doing this?" Harm smiled and opened his eyes at the sound of her voice.

"We really are." He tucked a hair behind her ear.

She did not reply with words, but kissed each nipple gently while her hands traveled further south. She stopped to admire the feeling of his abs under her fingertips. The dips between each muscle were not too prominent, but she could imagine what they would have felt like a few years ago. She was impressed by the amount of toning he still possessed, though. Harm's hands found the hem of her shirt and in one smooth move, managed to pull it off of her body and down to where his already lay. There was only so much of her touch he could stand before the need to feel her bare skin on his own drove him mad. He used his hands to push her down on top of him for another kiss. This time the kiss was intense and firm, fueled by the feeling of each others heat.

Mac smiled, "Why did we wait so long to do this?" She whispered against their kiss.

Harm took the opportunity to roll them over and hover over her. He never broke their connecting lips. "Doesn't matter now."

She moaned. "I would wait all over again…" his tongue made its way into her mouth and silenced her while hers battled along with his.

After all the years they had wasted, after all of the time that had passed between them, their feelings had never changed. They had been concealed, they had been buried, they had been denied, but never had they abated. Not once. It was clear to them, and anyone who could see, that the passion and the love that they shared was made to be mutual only among them. Everyone else, all other lovers had existed in their lives to appease heavy hearts and hungry lips. They had loved and they had liked, but never as deeply nor as completely as they had loved each other.

Harm rolled their bodies over to cover her body with his. Clothes were slowly but purposefully removed and discarded. Harm's own journey began in the crook of Mac's neck. He caressed the spot just below her earlobe with his lips. He smiled and took note when Mac moaned and lightly scratched down his sides. The scent of her perfume mixed with the rawness of her pheromones elicited a small groan from deep within him. He used his rough fingers to trace a path down the soft skin between her breasts. She naturally arched at his touch. She fought against his control to pull his lips towards hers for a deep and enthusiastic kiss.

Harm pulled back and continued to allow his lips to explore. He made his way from her lips down to each breast. He kissed each peak as delicately and as firmly as he could. Soon, he could feel his heart beat in his ears and his blood rush south of his navel.

Mac grinned as she felt his desire against her leg. She anxiously and sensually ran her fingers through his hair as he made his way to her bellybutton. Harm allowed his fingers to outline the contour of her hips. Slowly he made his way back up her waist and stopped to hold her still near the side of her breast. His lips traveled the path his fingers had laid before them.

Her heart suddenly fluttered as he positioned himself over her and looked into her eyes with a smile. He molded their lips together, asked for permission, and connected them in the most intimate way he could. They echoed each others moans and held on tighter. She nibbled on his ear. He closed his eyes tightly as he tried to control the pace and fight the urge to groan loudly. He bit her shoulder softly. She moaned and brought her arms up from around his waist to embrace him.

"I…I love you." Mac whispered into his ear. She knew she meant every word. She wanted to let him know as they matched each other's rhythm.

Harm smiled into her shoulder. They shared as much of each for as long as they could.

Soon they lay and steadied their breathing as they trembled together. Harm rolled onto his back and pulled Mac with him. She lay in the quiet of the room listening to the now steady beating of his heart. Her hand massaged his chest gently.

"What are you thinking?" She spoke after long minutes of tranquil silence.

Harm stroked her back before running his fingers through the locks of her hair. "I'm thinking this is what I have been searching for. I'm thinking this is what I have wanted. I'm thinking I love you and I never want to let go of you. I'm thinking about what you might be thinking about."

She smiled and kissed his chest. "I'm thinking we're both finally on the same page. And I'm thinking that this is exactly what I wanted and expected us to be. Perfect. I never want to lie in bed next to anybody else that isn't you. And I think I'm irrevocably in love with you." She smiled again, this time as she looked into his blue eyes, and moved to kiss his parted lips.

He pulled back slowly to smile at her and caress her cheek. "This isn't just a phase for us. This is it right? We're going back to Washington together?"

She nodded gently. "Together."

Harm smiled before he suddenly turned serious. He sighed and ran his hand through her hair. "I'm sorry that…our first time was in a hotel room."

Mac's smile faded and she lifted herself enough to be face to face with her flyboy. "Don't be. So it wasn't a candle-lit experience. I don't mind. I would do this wherever with you. Only with you." She waited for his nod of understanding before kissing him passionately.

They lay with their legs tangled, their arms entwined, and their bodies wrapped up in sheets as they let sleep claim them. After all of the turmoil and a lifetime of waiting, they finally managed to make each other owners of their hearts without inhibitions.

**There you go. Finally posted a newbie. So should I continue? I kind of want to get a vote from you…the readers. I would like to continue with how things should have played out from then on and end it somewhere near the beginning of season 9. But I'm not too sure. Maybe if I get inspired and if enough of you would like for me to keep going. No pressure guys…simple question. Anyway, thanks for reading! Older pieces still being edited and will be posted soon. Look for them!**


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